Sunday, October 23, 2005

"Deus Te Amat"

I think this is Latin. I think it means; "God Loves You" I heard it this morning on the radio when I was going to the gym to swim. It was the sign-off by the host of "Coast to Coast". I think it is one of those overnight talk shows with a UFO/esoteric theme. They had just interviewed an author of a book about Monsters and the "Evil" that exists in this world. I suppose there are quite a few "insomniacs" who listen regularly and get "into" that stuff.

After swimming, on my way back home, I catch the next show on KFI. "The Jesus Christ Show" This is a guy, who's been on for years I guess, who wants you to call in with your "theological and life situation" questions and call him "Jesus" ie. he speaks for "God's Son", quoting the Bible. His number is 1800-520-1KFI. You should hear some of the questions "He" attempts to answer. Some people are able to "suspend" or "extend" their belief and actually converse with "Him". "Now in your book..."

I recently had occasion to visit a "downtown" restaurant (near downtown Banning). It is on Ramsey, the main drag, about two blocks from the area designated for redevelopment "The Arts District". This area, besides having a restaurant or two, has many "storefront" churches that are barely hanging on. They provide services both spiritual and physical to the "resident" homeless in the area. I was sitting in a booth at the restaurant (IHOP) next to one of these "less fortunate" of God's Children. I almost couldn't eat my belgian waffle because of the smell. I think the restaurant was allowing them to come in, use the restrooms, "wash-up" and then order what they could for themselves and their pockets. One time I was in there and a lady was almost making a "scene" because she was insisting they got "her original order" slightly wrong and she wanted another. The problem was that she had secretly "stowed" most of the "wrong meal" and didn't have much to give back. This can become, and probably is, a problem for businesses in this downtown area. Who knows, some may be "starving artists" fitting right in.

I have no doubt that "God does love these folks too" and therefore, we should too. Here is the challenge. Many of them are "in a world of their own" and really don't want our "love"...and they are not "pan-handling" either. This guy in the restaurant was carrying on quite a conversation with himself or "someone" all the time he was drinking his coffee. If we represent God or have God within us, how are we to be feeling about them and their plight? What can we really do for them that they aren't already getting from the "local" churches and welfare agencies? Are they being "suspended" and kept in this "homeless" state by our systems and institutions? If God really love them, why are they allowed to live like this? Is it because of the "evil" in the world? Are they "evil"? I think I'll call "Jesus" some morning and ask "Him". Bob

12 Comments:

Now I'm beginning to understand the meaning of "Cleanliness is next to Godliness".

It reminds me of a recent episode of my new favorite TV show "Ghost Whisperer". Jennifer Love Hewitt (what ghost wouldn't want to meet her?) She scares up three orphan boys and their ghost dog, who died many years ago in their old mansion/orphanage fire. They won't leave and she has to convince them before the place is razed. She reads to them every night, in her low-cut nightgown, from their favorite book, "Peter Pan" and they call her "Wendy" All during the show they are filthy and covered with ashes and soot from the fire. Then when she finally convinces them, and they "see the LIGHT" at the top of the stairs, special effects suddenly make them "sparkling clean" and handsome. Ah, our "heavenly lore" continues even on popular prime time TV.

Faith in the idea that a benevolent omnipotent god exists is because people need some way to explain why things happen in their lives, why we exist, etc. These people don’t want to accept that there is no point to our existence and that our infinitesimally small corner of the universe must somehow be “special”. People want to believe that we are looked after by some kind of creator. People want to believe that if they are good they will be rewarded and that if someone is evil they will be punished. People believe this because they want life to be fair. But our experience shows us that life isn’t fair. The most realistic explanation is that there is no one watching. Good things happen. Bad things happen. Sometimes things happen because of the choices one makes in their life, sometimes not. The best thing to do is to live your life. Make your own choices and live with their consequences.

trev, do you actually believe that god is not looking out for you? i think if you think back to early childhood thoughts there probably was a time where you felt a closer connection to god. at some point you figured that you are somehow creating or responsible for the charmed life you enjoy, and turned away from god. think about that for a while.

Bob, in answer to your question: almost 50% of people with schizophrenia recover. The person with the illness is responsible for their own recovery, we can't do it for them. However, a big problem is the negative messages and less than appealing environments offered to these people by the system...like no hope, you can't... The system is slowly changing for the better: we are teaching self help, meditation and mindfulness, spiritual awareness, journaling, stress management, healthy eating, exercise. The role to take with these folks is to hold the hope,(of recovery) provide resources, support, offer opportunities as one would offer a cup of tea. I'm actively working on creating environments in our programs that are conducive to supporting recovery and wellness which means: Mutally respectful, collaborative, filled with opportunities and resources, not based on a single model of doing things, filled with leadership opportunities and based in partnerships. Always look for strengths: he got up, he got dressed, he's eating, he's out of the house and taking care of some basics, etc. His "inside" world is more important to him than the "outside" world, but perhaps the outside world is really offering very little that is validating or useful to him. The man who is a corporate Vice President of Value Options Behavioral Health (a huge BH coporate provider/payor) is schizophrenic. In the back wards of a state hosp. he was told his ideas and thoughts were delusisons of grandeur. Only one person said to him, don't give up your delusions of grandeur, they're your goals and dreams. Look where he is today, fulfilling his delusions of grandeur, with his antipsychotic medication (which he always carries) in his pocket.

When something good happens to someone, people are likely to say "God's looking out for him". But when something bad happens, they'll say that it was “God's will”. So, when a bus full of school children catches on fire and everyone dies – it must be God's will that did that...but just maybe it has to do with a faulty part that was installed by someone in a factory who picked the part out of a giant bucket of a thousand parts and when the part finally failed, the bus caught on fire. Was it “God’s will” that caused that man to pick up the faulty part? Or did the man randomly pick up the faulty part of his own free will? Maybe you should think about that for a while.

So to answer your questions, Son#One - no, I do not believe that God is looking out for me, nor do I believe that I am responsible for the "charmed" life I enjoy. Statements like that infer that somehow there is an almighty being that rewards some while punishing others – which I do not believe to be true. You want life to be fair – you want an explanation why some people live a charmed life and some people do not. There is no reason why. This is a difficult concept to accept and most will choose not to do so. I support your right to believe in God, but I expect the same in return – that you support my right to not believe.

well, well, well, those with expectations are setting themselves up for bitter disapointments. a school bus disaster on the surface, yes, does look like a bad thing, yet perhaps the school bus full of flaming children is just the lesser disaster of the myriad of possible outcomes. gods existence or in your case non-existence is not proven by the good or the bad things that happen. however, the proof is in the fact that both good and bad things happen to all. without the bad there can be no good. the fact that you haven't needed god's help does make you "charmed". like it or not. believe it or not.

#oneson- It's that kind of illogical rambling that further cements my beliefs.

First come the threats - disbelief equals bitter dissapointments. Meaning if you don't believe in God you will be bitterly disappointed?

Then comes the excuses - a bus full of flaming children is somehow a lesser disaster, so we should thank God that it wasn't worse? Where is the logic in that statment?

Then the statement that "without the bad there can be no good". Exactly how does this prove the existence of God?

Like I said before people really want an easy explanation for our existence and the mysteries of life. So, if you can't explain something...well, I guess it MUST be God! That's a pretty handy catch-all explanation isn't it.

You know where "God" is? God is in YOUR heart and in YOUR head. Everyone believes what they want to believe to help them through their own life. If you do the right thing - it doesn't really matter what you believe.

trevor, you obviosly are doomed to wallow in your own ignorance, your attempt to understand what i wrote and then your flawed responces i can only find pity for. however, i really don't think this is what dad had in mind for his blog. So, any of your further malarky should be sent directly to me at hottubclarky@hotmail.